


Birthday wishes

by kriegskrieg



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Fuck the Canon, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, please help them, they can be so dumb, they live, wholesome au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 16:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21039566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kriegskrieg/pseuds/kriegskrieg
Summary: Could a wish come true if you wish hard enough?





	Birthday wishes

It’s been a week and a half after the fourth and final try at the turbine rundown test on Reactor 4, being a huge success for the day shift; after the previous tries, they finally managed to get it to work, making Sitnikov and his team get all kind of praises, as well as making the rest of the plant workers take a break from such a tense atmosphere.

Now they could all thankfully relax and feel at ease, yet everybody was still in high spirits (the May 1st celebrations also helped with that): a huge weight lifted up from both the plant and the administrative stuff’s shoulders. And this particular morning there was one more reason to celebrate after work; as soon as the night shift was over, the control room door opened: it was Yuvchenko, peeking through the door.

“Hey, everyone!” –he exclaims to the present group.- “Before leaving, come to the canteen. Apparently, an important message is going to be announced!” –having finished his brief speech, he and plenty of the presents quickly left the control room, leaving Akimov and Toptunov behind, still putting their stuff in order for the next shift.

“Do you have any idea of what he was talking about, Leonid?” –Sasha asks, quite confused with what had just happened.

“I think I might have an idea. But we’ll have to wait until we get there to be completely sure.” –Leonid replies as he went to the corridor door with a small cheeky smile on his face that didn’t go unnoticed by his superior.

_Just what is going on? It’s as if everybody is hiding something from me… even Leonid! There must be something going on that I’m missing, but what?_ –was all Akimov could think as he followed his mentee through the door and down the golden corridor, making their way to the plant’s cafeteria.

Still asking himself questions, he suddenly noticed that Toptunov wasn’t waiting for him; in fact, he already was way ahead of him, as if hurrying up, leaving him behind in the process.

_That’s… unusual. He usually waits for me, and we talk with no hurries… Maybe I did or said something wrong?_ –Akimov was really starting to get worried. Thinking like this was not good, besides there was that “sudden announcement” left, whatever it could be. Lost in thought, he entered the canteen, not focusing on the group that not only was waiting for him but also knew how to make themselves noticed.

“**_Surprise!_**” –everyone exclaims at once, as soon as Akimov lays his eyes on them.

“Ah! W-What’s happening?” –he asks, a bit taken aback, looking all around.

“Sasha, come on. Surely, you can’t be _that_ dedicated to working that you forgot that today is your birthday! Or can you?” –questions a bemused Stolyarchuk.

Of course, it was Tuesday morning. May 6th. His birthday. _And he forgot about it._ Maybe Boris was right after all: he was indeed way into his job.

“We only managed to get plain coffee, but it’ll work for now.- he whispers, looking at him over his glasses before exclaiming to the group.- Gather around, everyone! A toast! To our best supervisor and friend, Sasha!” –he continues as everyone raising their cups for the toast.

“To Sasha!” –and then they all at once say:

_мы желаю вам:_  
Во всем быть первым;  
всегда иметь вторую половинку;  
никогда не быть третьим лишним;  
иметь четыре своих уголка;  
чтобы всё в жизни было на пять.

_/We wish you:_  
to always be first in everything,  
to always have your second half,  
to never be the third extra,  
to have your own four corners,  
and for everything in life to be a five./

Once done, they all clinked their cups and drank their morning coffee.

“Thank you, everyone. You shouldn’t have.” –says Sasha while receiving pats on his back and congratulations.

“So far you’ve got pretty much all of them covered, right?” –asks Perevozchenko.

“Well… I’m only lacking one of those.”

“Which one?” –asks Kirschenbaum.

“N-Number 2.” –he answers hesitantly and embarrassed in a quiet voice, giving Leonid a quick unconscious glimpse.

“Just you wait and you’ll find yourself a lucky one.” –says Stolyarchuk, placing his hand on his shoulder, shaking him as he gave him a wink.

Sasha just answered with a small smile, trying to hide how opposite he felt against the general mood around him.

_If only it were that easy. If only I wasn’t the way I am, then maybe I could..._

Shaking his head, he tries to clear his mind of those gloomy thoughts and at least enjoy this group breakfast before everyone started leaving, a well-deserved rest awaiting them at each of their apartments.

“Tell us, Sasha: are you planning on celebrating later today?” –asks Yuvchenko.- “I can think of a place for all of us to go at night.”

“No, not really. I’m pretty sure my parents are going to visit.” –he lies, though, knowing them, it could end up being true, so better play it safe for the moment.

“Aww, come on… On the weekend then? We have to properly celebrate; we couldn’t even spike this coffee!”

“Hahaha. Sure, sounds good. We could all arrange that some other day.” –replies Akimov, thankful to leave that matter behind, or at least forgotten for a couple of days.

A few minutes after the toast, one by one they start leaving, stretching and yawning, once again, wishing him a nice day. All but one.

“Leonid, why are you still around? You should get some sleep as well.”

“I’m waiting for you. Sitting on the bus is boring without you.”

_How could I not be smitten by him? So selfless, never thinking of himself, always ready to learn and help around…_

_Please, stop it._

“You better not fall asleep like last time then.”

“That’s why I’m waiting for you!” –he replies jokingly before giving him a heartfelt laugh.

_Stop it._

He no longer knew who he was referring to in his mind; if himself or Leonid, maybe both.

_Anything but that smile, Lenya._

It always manages to leave him entirely disarmed, making him almost stare like an idiot. But how much he loves that laugh. His laugh. The smiling it brings him it’s immediate and as genuine as his Leonid’s.

After going to the dresser room and changing back into their everyday clothes, they go towards the exit, onto one of the buses waiting outside, luckily an empty one, making their way to their preferred seats.

Once more people have gotten on the bus, the ride back to Pripyat started. As always it was mostly silent; everyone on it either feeling sleepy or already sleeping on the bus seats, both due to tiredness and being rocked by the bus movements. Outside, the day was windy and cloudy, threatening to pour each passing second. All in all, an ideal day to do nothing but sleep soundly.

By his side, Toptunov was dozing; his head nodding off from time to time as he tried to stay awake but kept on failing until he laid his head on top of Akimov’s shoulder. That sight alone was enough to make him smile: that could be the only gift he could receive all day and he'd be grateful.

Already inside the city, a few groups started getting out the bus; only a few more stops and he would enjoy the rest of his day.

“Say, Sasha.” –Leonid mumbles suddenly.

“Hm?”

“I know you said you weren’t planning on celebrating today but… do you mind if I come later to your apartment?” –he asks, rubbing his eyes.

“W-Why? The weather isn’t looking like it’s going to get any better.”

“Just wanted to give you a small gift. I won’t take long.” –he insists, gathering his stuff as his stop was getting closer.

“I- Well… I guess if it doesn’t start raining you can come. Is it okay at 5 o’clock?”

“Yes! I’ll see you at 5 then. Later and rest well!” –he says before stepping out at his stop, waving him.

“Later!” –Sasha says, watching him run along the street as he continues up to his own stop.- “I wonder why he seems to be in a hurry all of a sudden.”

***

Enjoying a nice cup of tea on such a raining evening felt nice, partly with luck on his side, or maybe it was just the bad weather, since his parents didn’t come to his apartment unexpectedly; they did give him a call, promising to meet some other time. But at the same time, he wasn’t feeling very lucky: it was already half past 6 and there was no sign of Leonid anywhere.

He should have expected it; now it had started to rain, the strong wind was making it worse and troublesome to be outside, let alone go somewhere unless it was an emergency. Leonid could at least have called him, but he probably was sleeping soundly, so Sasha couldn’t blame him.

But then a sudden knock on the door startled him. A neighbour maybe? Getting up, he thought that they never ask anything from him, so it must be important if they decided to knock on his door.

“Yes?”

“Sasha, it’s me! Open up!”

“Leo-“ -Sasha swings the door open and there he was: soaking wet, despite having an umbrella in one hand.

“Sorry I took so long, I-”

“I thought- why did you come after all? You’re wet and cold; come in! Let me get you a towel!” –Sasha says as he dragged him inside, only to then hurry up to the bathroom.

Carefully placing the bag he was carrying on the nearby dining table, Leonid tries to calm him down.- “Don’t worry, Sasha. The rain didn’t get to me that much, so it won’t take long for my clothes to dry off.”

“Nonsense. I won’t let you catch a cold. Not on my watch.” –he states, placing a big plush towel in his hands. Letting out a sigh and shaking his head, Leonid concedes and wraps himself in it, trembling a bit as he does. Still worried, Sasha goes to a cabinet and gets another teacup with its plate, placing them on the table.- “Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“Some tea would be nice, thanks.” –Leonid answers, looking around the room as if searching for something.

“Sure, just let me check if I can still use the water I had boiled not long ago.”-Akimov says as he goes to the kitchen.- “Meanwhile tell me, what happened?”

“Oh, I had to go get something, ended up waiting more than I expected and well, then the rain got me.” –he explains, making sure his mentor wasn’t looking in his direction, so as to take a medium-sized paper box from inside his bag onto the table.

“You had me so worried. But then I thought maybe you fell asleep and were still resting.”

“Sorry, I should have told you I was awake.” –he adds feeling a bit guilty, while hurrying up to take the cake out of its box, and decorate it with a few candles. Before lighting them up, he closes the curtains and checks that everything is in order.

_Here’s hoping Sasha doesn’t consider this a bit childish. It’s showtime._

Turning off the lights, he lets out a fake surprised gasp.- “Sasha! The lights!” –he cries while trying not to giggle.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Akimov is puzzled as he flicks the light on and off; it works just fine.

_How weird. Maybe the light bulb needs to be replaced._

Gathering the refilled teapot, he exits the kitchen and goes to the living room. Once he appeared, just before he got to try if the lights work or not, Leonid started singing:

_Пусть_ _ бегут_ _ неуклюже_ __  
Пешеходы _ по_ _ лужам_ _,_  
А _ вода_ _ по_ _ асфальту_ _ рекой_ _._  
И _ не_ _ ясно_ _ прохожим_ __  
В _ этот_ _ день_ _ непогожий_ _  
Почему_ _ я_ _ весёлый_ _ такой_ _._

_/Let the pedestrians run clumsily through the puddles_  
And the water run on the pavement like a river.  
It is unclear to the passers-by  
On this wet and dull day  
Why I’m so happy./

_Ах_ _ я_ _ играю_ _ на_ _ гармошке_ __  
У _ прохожих_ _ на_ _ виду_ _,_  
К _ сожалению_ _, день_ _ рожденья_ _  
Только_ _ раз_ _ в_ _ году_ _._

_/Oh I’m playing the accordion_  
For everyone to see.  
It is unfortunate, but birthdays  
Only come once a year./

_Прилетит_ _ вдруг_ _ волшебник_ __  
В _ голубом_ _ вертолёте_ __  
И _ бесплатно_ _ покажет_ _ кино_ _._  
С _ днём_ _ рожденья_ _ поздравит_ __  
И _, наверно_ _, оставит_ _  
Мне_ _ в_ _ подарок_ _ пятьсот_ _ эскимо_ _._

_/And suddenly a wizard_  
Would fly in, in a sky blue helicopter,  
And show a movie for free.  
He would wish me a happy birthday  
And probably leave as a present for me  
500 chocolate ice cream popsicles./

_Ах_ _ я_ _ играю_ _ на_ _ гармошке_ __  
У _ прохожих_ _ на_ _ виду_ _,_  
К _ сожалению_ _, день_ _ рожденья_ _  
Только_ _ раз_ _ в_ _ году_ _._

_/Oh I’m playing the accordion_  
For everyone to see.  
It is unfortunate, but birthdays  
Only come once a year./

_К_ _ сожалению_ _, день_ _ рожденья_ _  
Только_ _ раз_ _ в_ _ году_ _._

_/It is unfortunate, but birthdays  
Only come once a year./_

Having finished the song to his astonished mentor, he proceeds to clap, a huge smile appearing on his face. - “Happy birthday, Sasha!”

“Leonid, I…” –he sighs, fondly looking at him.- “Thanks a lot. You didn’t have to bother.”

“Nonsense, it’s the least I could do. Hope you like it.”

“I do. I just- I didn’t know you could sing.”

“Oh, yeah, maybe just a bit. It was for a short while, but I used to be part of the MePHI male choir. Guess I did learn something there after all. But enough about me, make a wish!”

_Right, the candles._ Before they get to consume any further, Sasha tries to quickly think of something but is distracted by the image of Leonid expectantly looking at him. After closing his eyes, he makes a simple wish and blows them out, his mentee cheering as he does so.

“So this is why you took your time arriving here.” –Akimov comments as he cuts a couple of slices and serves them along with some tea.

“Kinda. I asked the bakery with time to prepare it for today, but there were a lot of people in line before me.”

They end up spending quite some time together, talking about work and personal stuff. Now _this_ was a way to enjoy a birthday evening: a rainy day outside, appreciating the relaxing sound it made on the inside, a cup of tea in hand along with a nice piece of cake, in the company of your… your friend.

_How dare you think of your mentee as more than that? He’s just your friend at most, nothing else. Stop imagining things that won’t even happen._

“Sasha, is everything alright? You seem preoccupied.”

“Huh? Yeah, I- I was just thinking about all the trouble you went through for me.”

“It was no trouble at all, although I wish I could have made it myself.” –Toptunov admits with a sheepishly smile, pointing to the cake.- “What I did manage to get you is this.” –he adds as he places what seems to be two pieces of paper in his hand. Upon looking closely, Akimov realizes that they’re two tickets for the new Sherlock Holmes’ movie, “The Twentieth Century Approaches”.- “Just like the song, right? You get to see it for free.”

“Thanks, but why _two_ tickets if it’s only me?”

“So you can go with whoever you’d like! I doubt you wanted to go alone, so I got another one just in case.”

“Are you also going to get me five hundred _Eskimos_?” –Sasha asks him playfully.

“Hahaha, not at once, I won’t! But sure: just gotta keep track of them.” –he chuckles when, unexpectedly, the storm outside took a turn for the worse: a deafening thunder hit near, causing a power cut that took them both by surprise. “Sasha! The lights!” –Leonid repeats, now scared both at the loud noise and the sudden darkness, grabbing Sasha by the arm.

“Well, now they actually went off.” –Sasha says nonchalantly as he takes out his lighter, dimly lighting the room.

“It’s not funny.” –Leonid whimpers, holding on tightly as he shakes his mentor’s arm a bit to emphasize he’s serious.- “I should leave, otherwise I’ll end up swimming back home.”

“You’re not going anywhere, stay here.” –he blurts out since it makes sense; outside, the sky has darkened and was pouring heavily. But soon he realizes the slight connotation of what he just said, so quickly tries to fix it.- “F-For the night I meant! I- I mean, it’s dangerous you know, and you might get sick and, and… ”

“… You don’t mind?” –Leonid asks timidly, as he gives him a questioning look.- “I feel like I’m invading your place enough as it is.”

“You’re not. And of course I don’t mind. Besides, you’re my responsibility.” –Sasha says, again without thinking nor having the slightest filter. Realizing his words, with his face burning and being thankful that the lights are gone, he tries to mend things up.- “I mean, you know, i-it’s the responsible thing to do.”

“You’re an expert at that, so I think I will stay. Thanks a lot.” –he states, displaying such a bright smile, it makes Akimov question if suddenly either the lights are back or if the Sun decided to come out, in his apartment of all places.

“N-No problem. What should we do now? It doesn’t seem to be coming back any time soon.” –Sasha responds while looking out of the window, checking the surrounding apartments, hearing the muffled complains of the nearby neighbours and buildings, along with more thunder and heavy rain.

“Well, I couldn’t really sleep that much today, so…”

“Here, follow me then. My room is this way.”

“Y-Your room? Oh no, I couldn’t… I’ll just sleep on the sofa, itis fine.”

“I won’t let you sleep there after everything you went through earlier.”

“… If you insist; just one more thing. Would you… mind sleeping beside me, please?” –upon seeing the look on the supervisor’s face under the dim light of his lighter, he adds.- “I-I’m kinda scared of thunder since I moved here! Living on the last floor doesn’t help on nights like this one.”

“O-Of course then… it just took me by surprise.”

“Also, I know you wouldn’t, but please don’t tell anyone. I’m having enough with their jokes as it is.”

“I won’t, don’t worry.” –Sasha says as he leads the way to his bedroom, nervousness getting to him with each closer step he takes. He tries to calm down by searching in his closet.- “What I’ll do is have a talk with them on how to treat your fellow co-workers.”

“You shouldn’t… but I’d be nice.” –Leonid thanks him, sitting on one side of the bed as he takes off his shoes in order to lie down.

“Here.” –he says, handing him a pair of pajamas.- “They might be a bit big on you, but at least you get to sleep more comfortably.”

After thanking him, they both silently change their clothing in the dark, getting into bed as soon as they’re done. The two fidget for short while, not only due to awkwardness and to find a nice sleeping position. Sasha turns his back on Leonid, in a futile attempt at ignoring him and his own thoughts.

_Look at you. Enjoy it while it lasts, as this is the closest you’ll ever get near him. I can’t believe you get to be where you are right now. Disgusting. That’s what you-_

“Thank you once again, Sasha. Sorry in advance if I push you or hit you.” –Toptunov chuckles, placing a hand on his back, making Akimov shiver.

“N-No problem. I hope you sleep well. Good night, Leonid .” –he says, smiling sadly as he closes his eyes.

“Good night, Sasha.” –he says back, snuggling down with the bed cover.

**Author's Note:**

> _<strike>I'm back >:D</strike> Fucking finally._ Uni is taking a toll on me, but there're still stuff to be done fandom-wise 🔥🔥🔥
> 
> Hopefully those translations make sense 😅  
Btw, the song Leonid sings is this one 💖: [Crocodile Gena's birthday song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAG2cCGbQi0)


End file.
